


Grub Fic AU Part 8

by RainbowPixieCat



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Cold, Drama, Egg Hatching, M/M, Sickfic, catarrh, grub OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:24:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9164077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowPixieCat/pseuds/RainbowPixieCat
Summary: The day finally comes when the egg is hatching. What will their baby look like? It's the beginning of a new family.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is kinda short, but I plan to write more fics in this little series, of them being a family and such. I hope you enjoyed my fics up till now and well, if people like them, I'll post more.

February had arrived at last, bringing with it much snow and ice to add on top of the two previous months of snow and ice. Clouds pillowed up in thick billowing swathes, breathing flakes down to the ground below. Snow was in deep drifts and mounds. It caked cars and homes, smothered gardens and blocked roads and driveways. Still it continued to flurry down. People relied on snow ploughs and shovels to get anywhere and had to clean off their cars before driving them. Cronus would usually be working despite the weather but on this particular week he was home sick. He had come down with a winter cold and respiratory infection in his lungs and gills. Performing was impossible with a fever, a sore throat, pounding headaches and attacks of coughing and sneezing, not to mention the copious amounts of snot and mucus from his nose and gills. Violet stained tissues littered the bed and overflowed the wastebasket beside it.

Cronus was currently in the bed, enjoying the effects of congestion and fever. He listened to his breath rattling and wheezing as he stuffed a tissue under his dripping nose. His ears felt blocked and he could hear his own heartbeat pounding steady as a drum. He hadn’t been able to get much sleep due to the cold and infection, even with the pain medication, decongestants and antibiotics. Cronus huffed, frustrated, tired, bored and a bit grumpy. He put down his phone that he’d been reading fanfiction on and sighed again, having to breathe through his mouth due his blocked nose. He shivered despite his overly warm, violet flushed skin and curled up deeper under the blankets, turning on his side in the fetal position. The small portable heater in the room was on but it seemed to merely be providing another source of light rather than effectively heating the room. He sniffled and blew his nose, stuffing another tissue under it and tossing the used one on the floor next to the bin. His gills were smearing mucus on the sheets and pillow but there wasn’t a lot he could do about them, aside from wipe them clean or wait for Kankri to come in with a warm cloth and wipe them for him.

Kankri was also at home today, working on two or three commissions he had gotten on his blogs and trying to finish another eBook novel in a popular series he’d penned. It was a romantic fantasy and had quite a lot of readers. Still, he made sure to come in and check on Cronus every two hours or so, cleaning his gills, bringing him medicine and cold compresses, adjusting the heater, fetching more blankets and whatever else Cronus wanted and whined for. Kankri was fairly used to the violet troll’s whining and complaining so he tolerated it well enough. He understood it was all just a part of the Ampora package. Eridan was just as whingy as Cronus, or so he had heard. Everyone had their pros and cons.

Cronus was just about drifting off to sleep at last when he registered a crackling noise through his fog of illness and sounds of wheezing and thumping in his ears. He tried to ignore it but then had a horrible thought. What if the heater had set something on fire? He hadn’t really been watching where he chucked all those tissues or that blanket when he’d overheated before. He groaned half in annoyance, half in discomfort and forced himself to sit up, slowly and groggily. The crackling noise continued and he stumbled out of bed and began looking around the room for the source of the noise. He checked all around the heater, the ends of the curtains and, perhaps because he was not quite with it, on the other side of the bed and under the bed. “Kaaan! Kankri!” Cronus called out, straining his voice as loud as it would go before going into a small coughing fit. Owv. That hurt.

Kankri’s footsteps could be heard down the hall and the other troll came into the room with a tray balanced in his arms, laden with water, soup and more medicine. He saw Cronus wandering around out of bed and tsked. “Cronus, what are you doing up? You’re meant to be resting. The body can’t heal and recover properly unless the correct sequence of measures is applied to the situation. This also could be taken by someone who didn’t know better as a disregard of the efforts of one person for another and -”

Kankri was talking and talking as he usually did when Cronus heard the crackling again from behind his matesprit and realised it wasn’t a fire. He looked past him in time to see Crokri’s egg wobble and fall over in the nest where they kept it. His earfins flared out in alarm. “Hey Chief, I don’t mean to be rude or nothing but, the egg just fell ovwer. By itself!” he rasped out.

Kankri stopped mid-sentence with a look of annoyance that quickly changed to surprise. “Cronus, I – WHAT?! The egg?!” He hurriedly put the tray down on the end of the bed and turned around, going over to the pile and kneeling down in it. Cronus sat beside him, watching and shivering from a case of chills. “Y-yeah. VWhat d’you think this means? Is it…is it hatching?”

“I…I think so. What month is it? The eggs are supposed to hatch after two months. So…I think you’re right!” Kankri picked up the discarded blanket Cronus had left on the floor and draped it around them both, putting his arm around Cronus and leaning into him. “Here. Snuggle up. We’ll watch it together”

Cronus wrapped his arm around Kankri and cuddled as they both sat there, eyes transfixed on the egg.

The egg was making small scraping sounds and rocking from side to side. Crackling noises could be heard again and Kankri reached out to turn the egg gently. They saw indents in the egg and a spidering network of cracks spreading through the shell, steadily growing. Something pushed at the weaker parts of the shell and a small blobby horn poked out suddenly as pieces of candy red shell fell and scattered. Cronus heard Kankri’s breath catch in a gasp.

Clicking noises and muffled squeaks could be heard and the grub pushed harder and scrabbled at the orb that had now become its prison. It pushed its other horn through the shell and then its head popped through. The grub struggled and wriggled and the egg rolled a bit, tipping it almost upside down. Crokri’s grublegs scrabbled and kicked as he struggled and soon the rest of the egg was cracking and giving way. A damp, black haired grub tumbled out and rolled down the pile, coming to rest against a soft toy and a pillow. Its eyes were squeezed shut for a moment as it sat there dizzy. But then the eyes opened. Two bright red almond shaped rounds. Still covered in egg goo and bits of shell and fluff, it opened its mouth and gave a loud squeak, followed by some clicks and chirps.

Kankri was trembling. He sniffled and wiped tears on his sleeve. “O-Oh my gosh…oh my god. Cronus. He’s here!”

Cronus’ face lit up with a large grin. “He sure is! Look at that. Hey little guy. Finally came out to meet us” he greeted, stretching a hand out towards him. Crokri blinked and looked up at it curiously.

Kankri grabbed his wrist. “Ah ah, germs!” he reminded quickly, and Cronus instantly drew his hand back.

“Oh yeah. Sh…shoot. Sorry. Forgot” He sniffled hard as his nose leaked, but he couldn’t sniff it back up because his nose was too blocked and sinuses were sore.

“Here” Kankri handed him a handkerchief from his pocket. “Go and wash your hands and clean up a bit. I have to wash him off and get him dressed before he gets cold” he instructed. Kankri gently reached out and picked up the grub, scooping him into his arms like a small kitten. “Oh. Look at you. Look! He’s got a tail fin. And earfins! And little gills. And lumpy kind of zigzag horns”

Cronus finished cleaning his nose and kept grinning. “I knowv! Told you it vwas a seadvweller”

“But look at the colour. He’s a mutant. I mean…he’s!”

“He’s gorgeous. Just like his mummy” Cronus covered a cough in his elbow and stood, keeping his distance from the grub. “I’m gonna go clean up. You sort him out. Then vwe’ll figure out vwhat to do vwith him” He grabbed a new pair of underwear and an old tee, going off to take a shower.

As the bathroom door closed behind Cronus, Kankri just stood there holding the grub. He realised sticky egg goo was getting on his violet and red wool sweater. It was still all over Crokri and in his hair. “Guess we better give you a bath, hey?” Kankri petted Crokri with one finger. The grub chirped softly. Kankri carried Crokri down the hallway into the living room, which was warm from the reverse cycle air conditioner blowing warm air into the house. He put him down on the floor on a soft cushion. “Don’t move. I’m just…” he paused, remembering what Cronus had asked of him. “Mummy’s just going to make up a nice bath for you and get some things ready” he told Crokri.

The grub yawned and closed his eyes. Breaking out of an egg was hard work.

Kankri gathered up a colourful soft towel, the grub wash, a diaper with supplies and a grubsuit with red hearts on a white background. He found Crokri’s big soft bath flower and put it in the larger sink in the kitchen. Kankri rolled up his sleeves. He tested the water for the right temperature as the sink filled up and then went to get the grub, who he found still lying on his belly on the cushion, blinking sleepily. He picked Crokri up and carried him to the sink which had the soft flower in it.

“Now, let’s wash all of that slime off of you. Here we go” he talked softly to the grub as he gently and slowly lowered him into the water. He cupped water and softly splashed it over Crokri’s bright red body. “There. Does that feel nice?”

Crokri trilled and squeaked, waving his legs in the water. His gills began fluttering as they came into contact with it and slime was flushed out.

Kankri smiled, washing Crokri while holding onto him with his other hand. His candy red body was soft, yet slightly bouncy; plump and velvety. “You are just so cute. Do you know that?” he spoke adoringly. He didn’t know he could feel so much love for one little thing.

Crokri chirped and clicked happily, enjoying the water. He fussed a bit when Kankri started washing his hair but otherwise remained fairly still. Soon, he was rinsed off, dried off and being laid down on the floor on top of the towel. Kankri looked at all the supplies he had brought and hesitated. How did one put on a diaper? He tried to recall from his studies. He picked up an anti-rash cream and smoothed that on Crokri’s nether regions. Grubs didn’t really have much down there; just a small butthole an inch or so under the tail and lower down, a small pee hole. They wouldn’t get bulges until they were older and the bulge wouldn’t become active until their teen molt. So a grub’s anatomy was pretty simple. They were the size of a kitten and very much like kittens in that same way.

Crokri let out a small screech and wiggled. The cream was somewhat cold.

“Sorry!” Kankri apologised. He shook some powder onto the grub and rubbed it in. Then he picked up the impossibly small diaper and tried to figure out which way it went. After a few fumbled attempts, he got on it right way round and taped it closed, making sure Crokri’s tail fin poked out through the slit in the back. “There. All done. Now where’s your grubsuit?” he picked it up and dressed Crokri in it. The grub’s tiny horns peeped out the top of the hooded onesie and his ears and tail poked out as well. Kankri beamed. “Oh my gosh! You look so adorable! Photos. We need pictures for your cards!” Kankri scooped up the little bundle and looked around for his phone, not remembering where he left it.

Crokri chewed on his front grublegs and started to whine. Kankri paused and looked down at him. “Oh. You’re hungry. Of course. Grubs need to eat after they hatch to restore energy lost during the hatching struggle. Hold on. I have grub formula somewhere” He started to search the kitchen.

The grub started to hiccup and warble unhappy sounds.

Cronus came out of the bathroom looking fresher and cleaner than before, but still exhausted. He came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, slumping in his chair. “Ah, you got him all dressed I see. Looks like he’s not happy about somefin” he observed, as Crokri’s squeaks began to turn into crying.

Kankri rocked the grub “He’s hungry and I can’t remember where I left the powdered formula. Here, could you take him for a second while I get him a bottle ready? It’s easier if I have both hands” Kankri walked over to Cronus and waited “Hold out your arms. Like that, yes” he gently handed over the crying grub.

Cronus smiled and rocked Crokri in his arms. “Hey hey. Hold your seahorses, it’s coming” he chuckled. “I’m hungry too but you don’t see me pitching a fit”

Kankri shook his head as he carefully measured level spoonfuls of formula into a bottle before placing it in the bottle heater. It was ready after five minutes and he took it out and shook it, then squeezed a drop or two of the milk on his wrist.

Cronus looked up from Crokri, who was crying and trying to chew on his front legs again. “Vwhat are you doing that for? You’re not supposed ta feed it to your vwrist, Kan”

Kankri rolled his eyes “I am checking the temperature. We don’t want to scald our grub with overly hot liquids, nor feed him something unpalatably tepid. Here, would you like to feed him?” he handed the tiny bottle to Cronus.

Cronus looked at it nervously, looking from the crying grub to the bottle and back again. “Ahh….I don’t knowv if I can do this”

“Sure you can” Kankri smiled. “Here. You just. Put it in his mouth…wait till he gets a drop. There, see. He’s taking it. Now you...um…tilt it a bit. Not too much or it’ll flow too fast. And be careful he’s not getting air. Yes. Yes, that’s it. You got it”

Crokri suckled away hungrily on the bottle, calming down as he drank the formula. Kankri wiped the red tears from his little face and smiled. “Hold on. Now I’ll get the camera” He ran off and quickly returned, taking photos of them both. “Oh, it’s so nice. What lovely pictures. Cronus you look like a natural” he praised.

Cronus smiled happily. “Yeah? Heh. I dunno” he flushed faintly violet and sniffled. “I’m vworried about him getting my cold. I can’t hold onto him for too long”. 

Kankri walked over and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s all right. I’ll take him when you’re ready. I just wanted to give you two a chance to bond” he hugged Cronus from behind. “He’s so cute. And so tiny. Can you believe we made this?”

“Yeah. Still trying to get used to it. He’s amazing. You both are. I’m the luckiest guy in the vworld” Cronus said tenderly.

Crokri hiccupped and coughed, spitting milk out everywhere. Cronus took the bottle out as the grub coughed and spluttered.

“Vwhoops! I did somethin’ vwrong” Cronus fretted. “Is he okay?!”

Kankri went and got a cloth and dampened it. He wiped Crokri off and then took the grub, patting his back lightly. “It’s okay. You just tilted it up too much and it came out too fast. He’ll be fine. Here. I’d like to try” He held out his hand.

Cronus handed over the small bottle and Kankri sat down. He cradled Crokri in his arm and started trying to put the teat back in his mouth. The grub turned his head and cried but soon got another taste as a drop of milk landed on his tongue. He latched on and suckled clumsily. Looks like learning how to feed was new for him too.

‘Click! Click!’ Cronus was taking pictures on Kankri’s phone. “Smile Kanny. You’re on camera” He grinned, before having to put the phone down to cover a sneeze. Cronus coughed and groaned. “Owv. My throat hurts” he whimpered uncomfortably.

“Go back to bed, love. I’ll reheat your soup if you need me to. Don’t take your medicine on an empty stomach. I’ll be along once I finish feeding Crokri” Kankri said softly. The grub’s eyes were closed and he was sucking away. It looked like he was getting full and sleepy.

Several minutes later, Kankri put aside the three quarters empty bottle and tiptoed into the grub nursery with Crokri. He laid him in the tiny crib and covered him with a blanket. He then tiptoed back to the kitchen to get his phone and quietly as possible, snapped pictures of the sleeping angel in the crib.

Cronus looked up from his still warm soup as he sat in bed with two tissues jammed up his nostrils. “Hey. Vwhere’s Crokri?”

“Fell asleep” Kankri whispered. “Look here” He sat on the side of the bed next to Cronus and started showing him the photos. “Do you think this one would do for the announcement cards I’m mailing out?”

Cronus nodded and smiled “Yeah. That vwould look great. He looks so peaceful. And cute. And adorable and…precious”

Kankri leaned against Cronus and hummed happily. “Yeah” He purred softly. “Oh. Do you want me to reheat your soup?”

Cronus shook his head gently (moving it too much made his headache worse), “Nah, ‘m fine. It’s still hot. You go and put the announcements together. I’m gonna take some meds and try to get some decent shut eye. Vwanna get better so I can spend more time vwith you and pipsqueak”

Kankri kissed Cronus’ earfin and smiled “Okay then. Sleep well. I’ll come and get the dishes and tray once you’re finished”

“Thanks babe. Lovwe you”

“Love you too” Another kiss to Cronus’ cheek for good measure.

Kankri tiptoed out of the room and went to make the announcements. He uploaded the photos of Crokri, printed them out on glossy photo paper and inserted digital copies into the electronic version of the announcement cards. He didn’t post them out yet, due to needing Crokri’s weight, length, and other details. There was also the fact that Porrim would come rushing over as soon as she heard and Kankri wanted to just enjoy this special time to himself first. He went back to work while it was peaceful, doing a piece of art for a customer who commissioned it. All was right in the world.

***

Cronus awoke hours later to gentle noises. He rubbed his eyes and sat up a little, seeing Kankri knelt down in the pile at the end of their bed, on the floor. He had a pair of tweezers and was collecting shards and fragments of something red. Cronus realised it was pieces of Crokri’s shell. “Hey Chief” he grated out. Cronus coughed, reaching for a tissue to mop up his nose and neck gills.

Kankri looked up when he heard Cronus’ voice “Oh. Hey there. I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” he said sympathetically, keeping his voice low.

“N-no. Just - ” he sneezed and blew his nose “Vwoke up. Howv’s the kid?”

Kankri smiled. “He’s still asleep. I got some of his details but still have to get his height, length and weight. I’m going to mail out the announcements next week. Don’t want everyone coming over to see him yet. And besides, you’re still sick. You need to rest in peace and quiet”

He smiled “Thanks hon. I appreciate it. So, vwhat are you doing vwith all those shards?” he asked curiously.

“I’m going to use the eggshell display kit you gave me” he said, fondness colouring his words. “And put his hatch date on the card that goes with it. I thought it would be nice to display it in our room or in the living room where everyone can see it”

Cronus purred. “Cause we’re a family nowv”

Kankri stood with the colourful shards in an empty cardboard box. “Yes. We’re a family now”.

They looked at each other and smiled. Their new life as a family was just beginning.

“You knowv, Porrim’s going to kill us for making her vwait”

Kankri chuckled “Yes, I’m well aware of that”


End file.
